An American Airlines jet carrying 64 passengers crashed into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night after colliding midair with a military helicopter.
There are no survivors and operations have been switched from a rescue mission to a recovery mission, announced District of Colombia fire chief John Donnelly at a press conference early Thursday morning. Twenty seven bodies have been recovered from American Eagle Flight 5342 and one from the Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
The crash occurred at 8:47 p.m. as the plane approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, returning from Wichita, Kansas.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed on social media that the helicopter had been on a military training flight and operated out of Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The status of the crew of three aboard the helicopter has not been confirmed.
Latest below. Absolutely tragic. Search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families.
Investigation launched immediately by Army & DoD. pic.twitter.com/WdUnYV4UJz
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 30, 2025
Among the plane’s passengers were young figure skaters, their family members and coaches, according to U.S. Figure Skating. They were flying back from a training camp held in Wichita following the national figure skating championships.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday morning via TruthSocial that he was briefed on the collision and is scheduled to hold a news briefing at 11 a.m. EST.
This is a developing story.